This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing particulate material which is particularly, but not exclusively, designed for dispensing spices in a measured charge.
Many devices have been manufactured or proposed in previous years for dispensing various different types of particulate materials for example, coffee, spices, washing powder and sugar.
One type of dispenser for this purpose comprises a closure member for a container which defines an opening through which the material can be dispensed. A measuring device forming one or more pockets is positioned for sliding movement adjacent the opening so that it can move from a position underlying the opening to a second position in which the pockets are spaced from the opening and a plate portion closes the opening. In this second position, the pockets are moved to an opening in a dispensing cover so that the material drops from the pocket through the dispensing opening. Thus the dispensing opening and the container opening are offset so that each movement of the measuring dispenser collects a charge and then deposits the charge.
Such arrangements are shown for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,767,889, 2,639,837 and 3,973,704.
All of these devices have a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the measuring device is built-in or a essential part of the container and therefore, each container requires a separate measuring device. Secondly, the bottom discharge does not allow a visible check to be made to ensure that the measure is full before discharge. Thus, if a blockage in a damp material occurs, only a part measure may be dispensed. Thirdly, the device being an integral unit is difficult to clean and difficult to overcome any blockages.
Further, devices of a similar general type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,676,348, 2,063,605 and 4,531,658. In these arrangements a similar pocket is moved to a discharge opening to collect a charge and then moved beyond one end of the container closure so the whole container can be inverted and the charge dispensed. Again these arrangements have significant disadvantages in that they are difficult to clean and each container requires a separate measuring force.